14 December 2010 10:02

Carlos Tevez has once again proven there is never a dull moment at Eastlands - with the captain demanding out at the moment Manchester City reach the top of the table.

The Eastlands billionaires are vowing to fight for the Argentine, but thoughts must already be turning to who can fill the top scorer's boots.

It seems to take a special kind of character to play up front for City these days (we're looking at you Mario and Emmanuel) - ones who are dangerous in front of goal and equally dangerous in the dressing room.

With that in mind, Sportsmail takes a look at five players who Mancini might put on his wish list.

Edin DzekoWolfsburg, £33.5mIt's been a mixed season for the highly rated 24-year-old. He is still banging in the goals in the Bundesliga - with nine in 16 appearances - but all is not well. New manager Steve McClaren has spent big but the club find themselves an unhappy 14th.

Dzeko and the former England boss had a public fallout at the start of the month when the striker stormed down the tunnel after being substituted. Balotelli and Tevez would have been proud.

But the £33.5m minimum release clause in his contract - in place till June - is a double edged sword. City wouldn't have to pay vastly over the odds this time, but, with Real Madrid also interested, would Dzeko prefer the glamour of Madrid or a billboard in Manchester?

Top target: City tried to sign Dzeko from Wolfsburg in the summer and are more keen than ever

Didier DrogbaChelsea, £25mIllness has played its part but the Ivorian has not had his best season at Stamford Bridge and was shocked to only find himself on the bench at Tottenham.

For a player who has for so long been one of the first names on the team-sheet at the club this would have been an eye-opener, feeling he may not be the valued commodity he once was.

With the striker now 32, Chelsea will start looking to the future soon, but Manchester City were strongly linked in the summer and would do well to find someone better versed in Premier League centre forward play.

A penchant for an occasional strop fits the City mould, but would Chelsea (not short of cash themselves) be prepared to strengthen a rival even if they were to consider selling their No 11? Doubtful. And the striker keeps banging on about how his heart is torn between Marseille and Stamford Bridge.

Premier standard: Drogba has shown his quality time and time again in the blue of Chelsea

Red alert: Torres has many admirers

Fernando TorresLiverpool, £60mSomething is clearly not right with the Spaniard. The forward has barely looked up for it all season and only his reputation is keeping him in the side.

The 26-year-old has cost his side wins at Newcastle and Tottenham with poor finishing, while he's nowhere near the same player that took the Premier League by storm in his first three seasons.

A smile on his face are rarer than his goals this term and he has lost his way and confidence under Roy Hodgson, who may decide to cash in on a player he clearly can't get the best out of. That's if Hodgson is still in charge by January.

Liverpool are on sounder financial footing now and insist they aren't under pressure to sell. And would Torres want to move to City when there are likely to be safer suitors out there?

Zlatan IbrahimovicBarcelona, £35mHaving played for Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona and AC Milan, the Swede's CV shows you all you need to know about how highly he is rated throughout Europe.

The 29-year-old is on loan at Milan from Barcelona and has already chipped in with 13 goals this season at the San Siro, but there remain question marks over whether the Italians have the finances to take up a £20m option to buy.

Made in Italy: Ibrahimovic is thriving at AC Milan after moving on loan from Barcelona

Mancini is a huge admirer of the Swede having signed him for Inter Milan in 2006, while his baiting of journalists and TV jousting with critic Arrigo Sacchi show he has fire in his belly.

Ibrahimovic seems unlikely to ever play again under Pep Guardiola and City could provide funds for Barca's yearly summer pursuit of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.

The only stumbling block for City is Ibrahimovic only last month ruled out moving to Eastlands. But will he stay and sulk at Barca or fancy a move to one league he has not yet cracked with a side destined for Champions League football?

Neymar Santos, £37mOne of the world's hottest prospects, European giants Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Juventus have all been attracted by his rise to wonderkid status.

But City had first-refusal on the 18-year-old throughout Robinho's loan at Santos only to pass up the opportunity to sign him.

Since then, Neymar (left) has been criticised as being big-headed by opponents and threw an impressive enough strop to get his own boss fired - only increasing his stock in Manchester.

He turned down Chelsea in the summer to sign a new contract, but it's surely only a matter before he moves to Europe.

Few clubs would risk such a huge sum on his new £37m release clause, but City have the luxury to write off such sums without so much as batting an eyelid.

Milan close the door on Tevez as scramble to sign wantaway Man City star beginsMan City's hunt for 'new Tevez' could be scuppered by AC Milan double dealWhy I'm going: Carlos Tevez blames Manchester City chiefs for decision to moveMARTIN SAMUEL: There's only Chelsea left for Carlos Tevez if he stays in England.MANCHESTER CITY FC